Chapter 238

"This is the backend for operating the Chernobog Power Company system... I've tried my best to make the system easy to use."

"Because it is an injection program, its script will automatically hide your operations in the system, so it is not a disposable item... And by bypassing the affiliation of various systems through circuit connections, it can operate the automated facilities of the Mobile City on the map, which is the greatest use of this system."

"I've granted you basic permissions like changing signal lights and quickly switching the operational status of Landship public facilities... I've temporarily disabled the kind of 'massive blackout' that directly cuts off an entire block because it's too conspicuous... If you encounter danger, actively create advantageous terrain to help you escape... With this, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Chernobog is our home turf."

Typhon with shining eyes, like a child who had just received a new toy, and began quickly checking the phone's new functions... Because it was Nana's personal system, Nana's PRTS data permissions and the port connecting to the Homeland Security Bureau auxiliary AI Anna were also sent over by Nana.

To enhance Typhon's battlefield situational awareness, Nana did not intentionally remove these functions.

For Typhon, the fact that he could check a stranger's identity, family background, and even bank account details via his mobile phone was obviously quite interesting.

Watching Typhon seem to revert to the village girl who had just received a cell phone, and seeing her hooded figure disappearing with gasps of surprise, the Kitty Killer suddenly worried that his cheap disciple might become obsessed with playing with children... Well, let's give the child a little more trust for now.

So, let's get down to our own tasks first.

Turning around, Nana looked at the 'Sarcophagus', which was several times larger than it had been two months ago... The mansion, which was originally some distance from the Sarcophagus, had now become the main gate located in front of Sarcophagus new stone coffin due to the expansion of the 'Sarcophagus' itself.

Nana's initial plan was to carry out the infiltration mission during the evening rush hour, as the busy streets would be a natural means of concealment for her reconnaissance.

But when Nana crossed the street and saw the mansion's current state, Nana was dumbfounded, because she had just crossed the street to go to the mansion's location when she discovered the blockade set up by Chernobog Agents.

Behind the red and white barricades, Chernobog Agents carrying military crossbows were scanning everyone who tried to approach with suspicious eyes... Nana didn't want to gamble on whether her appearance had been circulated among the Chernobog Agents' memories, so the assassin decisively put her phone to her ear, covered half her face, and fooled her way past the checkpoint. After passing the checkpoint Nana discovered that, contrary to what she had imagined, the mansion, as the 'center' of Chernobog, now seemed to be completely blocked off from the street.

Along with the other Chernobog residents, Nana made her way along the blockade line, noting the 'notices' that appeared every few steps along the wall.

[Given the unknown situation inside the Sarcophagus and the dangerous situation Chernobog is currently facing with rebel warships, the central city of Chernobog, mainly the Main Control Tower and the central street where government offices are located, will be under full-time military control. All citizens have been notified...]

After glancing at the notice in black and white, and seeing the sandbag wall of blast barriers that had been used for emergency isolation two months ago still standing near the mansion, Nana knew... This seemingly mobilization was actually a monopolistic power grab, undoubtedly Boris's masterpiece.

Was he uneasy because of the resistance he received from the municipal government, military, police, and Engineering Department during the Sarcophagus incident? Using pretexts such as martial law or armed conflict, and with the help of a loyal force, he seized control of the city's power that originally belonged to the government... This is a relatively common method of 'coup' in Columbia.

However, as mayor, he shouldn't need to consolidate his rule in this way at all... It can only be said that the incident at Rhodes Island two months ago may have severely damaged Boris's authority.

Moreover, the title of Boris [Marquis] itself is filled with the stench unique to Ursus Nobility... It is only natural that once the cloak of freedom, democracy and openness learned from the international community is stripped away, his true colors will be immediately revealed.

Nana simply hoped that his conflict with the Chernobog government wouldn't escalate to the point of hindering the fight against the rebels. As a government official in an open city, while the question of which side he was on was inherently relevant, his vision should be broader than that of the Old Nobility...

The assassin was worried that, in order to establish their authority in Chernobog, they would force those who were originally considered "their own people" to join the Old Nobility Chernobog, and put on a show of "Grand Duke, this way please"...

The most clownish one is probably Nana, though not intentionally, shaped this outcome.

Swallowing hard and rubbing her arms, Nana felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about how troublesome this situation was... After confirming that the area around the target location was completely sealed off, Nana helplessly looked towards the horizon.

He had just refused to take Typhon to the Noble Nobles' Army headquarters... but judging from Boris's side, it seemed that he had already violated his guard, and the level of vigilance was no less than that of a proper military fortress.

However, infiltrating a building in a city... is significantly less difficult than infiltrating a high-speed warship in the wilderness.

For the sake of the Doctor's nickname, Nana had no choice but to hold her nose and keep going.

With ordinary roads on the ground completely blocked off, the only remaining options were underground and aerial routes... and given that his deputy observer was Typhon, it was clear that the option of infiltrating through underground structures was never an option from the start.

"In that case... there's really no choice..."

As the sun dipped below the horizon of the Mobile City, the assassin, having checked the outer perimeter, entered an alley. With a flash of orange-yellow magic from her watch, Nana vanished into the shadows.

PS: Waaaaaaah!

↑ Busy directing the renovation of the coffee shop, Nagisa, upon hearing that Nana was going to target others, even Mika before her, was in a state of extreme depravity (lol).

PSS: Actually, following Jessica's usual practice, Typhon's tasks should also be written in one go, treating everyone equally.

After all, Typhon, like Jessica, is Nana's prey... but it's the beginning of the month... I'm a bit lacking in energy, and my biological clock is almost at its limit...

I'm always rushing to meet deadlines until the end of the month, and I only get about three hours of sleep each time I wake up... I can only say I'll try my best to write something.

Actually, I wanted to quickly get to the point where we rescued the Doctor and let Skadi appear, and let Nana meet in Lungmen and Texas, and then we could directly move on to the Seaborn part... But the integrity of the story doesn't allow me to do that. I feel like I've become a patcher for Nana so that she can be connected to the Yostar canon.

7th Chernobog's Blood Money: 265 Typhon's Solo Mission Part 1

After watching his Kitty Teacher disappear into the shadows and glancing around to make sure no one was around, Typhon of playing on his phone, finally put away his new toy and focused his attention on the task at hand.

Whether it's Typhon's own hunter career or his recent intensive training on Rhodes Island, being a ranged marksman may not always be the best sniping location... The location that can monitor most targets will often be the common focal point of those targets, and the light in most areas of this land will not be as abnormal as in Sami due to the Collapse.

A sniper's job has always been the same: conceal yourself while firing your bullets or arrows to where the mission requires... For Typhon, whether he's on the bridge or under it, the difficulty doesn't seem to change.

Recalling the precautions Jessica had told him, Typhon threw his bicycle around the bridge piers and hid it, then turned and went to the bridge joint that supported the road surface to put down his foot.

Remembering the hunting rules that Kitty Teacher occasionally taught him, Typhon hid himself in the shadows, laid a camouflage thermal blanket on the cool concrete surface, and Typhon down. He then installed the crossbow mechanism on his giant bow, took out his water bottle, antenna, and binoculars, and completed a series of preparations before pulling the crank. Finally, he checked the safety... The siege arrow fell into the quiver, ready to be fired.

Although the process is much more complicated than when I used to hunt on my own, the tasks in the city are obviously much easier than the hunger and cold I experienced in Treetop Mountain.

Sometimes Typhon would complain like his Kitty Teacher, because of the various equipment and the meticulous care his teammates gave him, and he no longer had to endure the cold and hunger... Now, performing missions always gave Typhon the illusion that he had become weaker.

"... Is it because of Jessica...?"

Touching the city camouflage insulated cushion beneath him, Typhon muttered to himself... Everything seemed normal at the distant target; the agents in suits and tactical gear appeared to be living a peaceful life.

Despite drawing such a conclusion visually, Typhon could see Nana using Optical Camouflage Spell to infiltrate from the eaves of the street buildings, combined with the overwhelming presence of the Kitty Teacher in the Warp, which was like a bright flame in the night.

The girl on the rooftop leaped and twirled, the black flames of the Warp dancing along with the reflections of reality... Typhon watched for a long time, slightly questioning the meaning of his existence... Time flew by, and as the Twin Moons of Terra hung high in the sky, Nana, who had passed through the mansion's defenses from the rooftop, finally established communication with Typhon.

"Master?"

[... Communication status confirmed, audio quality...]

"Very good."

Typhon raised his crossbow again, excitedly contemplating his next target. But just as Typhon, using Nana as the reference point, Kitty Teacher's the Warp dizziness suddenly turned and glared at Typhon... Was it because the arrow had just grazed Kitty Teacher's warning line?

Although he knew his teacher was sensitive to gazes, Typhon felt that this level of sensitivity couldn't be explained by mere intuition... But Sami's little hunter had a good habit: if the other person didn't explain it to her, she wouldn't press them for an explanation. And compared to the interlude before the mission began, the mission objective itself was more worthy of attention.

[Typhon, can you see me?]

"I could see it... the line I just pointed at your shoulder was exactly what I was aiming at..."

[I sensed it. So before we begin, let's calibrate first... Typhon, can you see the small camp ahead?]

Following Kitty Teacher's directions, looking towards the end of the street, the water-filled bollards that should have been set up by the military and police to speed up the intersection now seemed to have become roadblocks for the Chernobog Agents. In addition, there were blast walls filled with sand, and the road leading to the intersection was blocked off... Similar barricades were now set up at key intersections throughout the government area within the entire Chernobog.

"... The camp, equipped with searchlights, had only a wall without a roof, and a population of fifteen, but only four were on guard duty... the others..."

Although she knew the other party was operating some kind of industrial machinery, Typhon had never encountered anything like it before. Looking at the incomprehensible actions of the people and machines in that small camp, she stammered for a long time, unable to find a way to describe it.

[The others are filling sandbags and water tanks... the former can be thrown into the blast wall to build barricades, while the latter are the main materials for isolating civilian vehicles and building a blockade... Let them move around, especially the four on guard duty... the barricades raise the guards' line of sight, and with the searchlights here, even Optical Camouflage can't withstand such strong stimulation.]

Hearing Nana's words, Typhon's first reaction was undoubtedly to use his giant bow to send all those guys to meet the Inner Guards that Nana had killed... But this clearly contradicted the Kitty Teacher's initial plan. Typhon paused for two seconds before reacting and taking out his phone:

"Then I'll disconnect the camp's power supply. As the searchlights go out, the sentries' attention will be diverted. Teacher, please follow my countdown..."

As the girl awkwardly used her eyes to define the distance between the screen and reality, accompanied by Typhon's childish and slightly uneasy countdown, and as the precise darkness instantly enveloped everything... all Typhon could see was the sudden chaos in that area.

Unlike the slightly excited feeling he had when he first explored people's hidden 'privacy' through his phone, Typhon suddenly felt a strange sense of guilt as he watched the agents in the distance lie down in the dark, then slowly get up and anxiously question each other.

Leaving aside the fact that Nana slipped through the defenses while the lights were off, Typhon looked at the SHD AI 'Anna' on her phone, which had labeled the Chernobog Agents as 'in a panic' and added a countdown to their expected recovery... Typhon looked bewildered; she hadn't felt a shred of reality at all.

If it's a bow and arrow, because he often went searching for the carcasses of his prey after hunting... through these experiences, Typhon gradually developed a basic understanding of the power of his bow and its accompanying arrows, and what his bowstring could and could not be aimed at.

Faced with the convenient functions of technological creations... the experience of simply pressing a button and watching others frantically try to do the same thing instilled in Typhon a strange sense of fear...

One possibility is that one day I might end up like those secret agents in the distance, manipulated and my life at the mercy of their moods.

Can 'hunting' really become such an unrealistic activity? Lin

Unlike the rigorous professional training his master had emphasized in the past, and the skills he had honed in the treetops of Sami for survival, this time, he had really only pressed a few buttons.

Despite having other tasks at hand, Typhon's mood inevitably soured, considering that his job was really just pressing buttons—unlike his imagined scenario of his master, the cat, relying on him... The reality was that anyone could Typhon it, as long as they followed instructions; even a soulless machine could complete the job well...

Ironically, even though the operator realized his abilities were irrelevant to the mission, the equipment—which could perfectly control the battlefield without much effort or trouble—still accomplished the initial mission objectives given to it by Nana in the hands of the dejected Typhon.

For Typhon, this was the first time he had noticed, through the convenience of technology, that human agency in daily life was decreasing with technological advancements. If Nana were to evaluate him, she would praise Typhon's keen sense of this potential threat.

The relationship between people, technology, and life is an extremely complex topic... After all, the final evolution of the phone in Typhon's hand, one of the so-called AMa Machine, is carrying out a mission right in front of the mansion.

Although Nana noticed that Typhon's voice sounded off, she didn't have time to comfort the girl.

After all, having bypassed the defenses, Nana was now outside the mansion... seemingly unchanged from when they left; this was still Chernobog's place for entertaining guests... or rather, for gathering intelligence.

Two months ago, it was Nana's mistake to treat it as a simple social gathering place. Returning here this time, seeing the still bustling caravan, and hearing the still clear and melodious piano music inside the mansion... the businessmen's conversations, tinged with mixed emotions, rose and fell. Now, standing in the position of a third party, Nana perhaps understood the reason why her anxious emotions back then had even turned into murderous intent.

This is an intelligence center. (Slip away)

Although he hadn't noticed it two months ago, he could now certainly make that judgment... This was Chernobog, the place Boris used for intelligence work through businessmen, journalists, soldiers, and agents.

Only such a function would require so many agents to be stationed around it and work for it.

Nana initially thought this was Boris's social venue, but now it seems that misjudgment was a serious strategic blunder on her Nana.

This is not a social venue, but an intelligence activity center.

Although both of these behaviors seem like small talk, the former's ultimate goal is to build 'relationships,' while the latter is the content of the small talk itself.

While Nana was searching for an angle to eavesdrop, intelligence gathering activities were still underway in the mansion, and it didn't even feel like the end of the night.

After all, with the civil war looming, people began to want to know more specific developments... and so all sorts of social skills could appear under the guise of intelligence activities.

Aside from the unsuspecting, unlucky invitees... everyone here knows what 'it' is, everyone here is part of 'it,' everyone here needs it... and there are even people trying to stop it one way or another?

Of course, we're not talking about Nana, who arrived later... after all, she had just opened the basement door in the dark.

Since she couldn't hear anything through the floor, Nana followed the corridor to the mansion's staff changing room. Using her maid outfit and Katyusha as cover, Nana began to openly investigate what was happening inside the mansion.

Although being an assassin involves a duality in intelligence work—the need to obtain information while simultaneously preventing others from obtaining anything—the intelligence facilities in Chernobog shouldn't theoretically contain scenarios that only occur during purely peaceful times.

Those were people who, apart from merchants, were received by the Marquis of Boris, and were suspected to be diplomats from the Old Nobility.

Of course, a person's identity cannot be written on their face. But their above-average clothing, dignified demeanor, ever-present mechanical smile, and careful wording even after repeated toasts reveal that they are a kind of people, outcasts who see this place as a battlefield, and their behavior demonstrates this.

If you're wondering why Nana could tell that someone whose identity wasn't written on their face belonged to the Old Nobles' Army... then you'd have to ask why the diplomats, who were deliberately dressed in ordinary suits, were followed so ostentatiously by soldiers in the Old Nobles' Army.

Unlike Boris and the Old Nobility diplomats who seemed to be engaged in a heated debate, the soldier in the Old Nobles' Army felt much more approachable to Nana... After all, the soldier holding a half-full wine glass and a napkin, his blank, expressionless eyes scanning the entire room as if searching for some hidden danger on an unfamiliar battlefield... seemed not too different from Nana herself.

The soldiers of Ursus... whether they are the military police of Chernobog or the Inner Guards whose stance is unclear, are simpler and easier to understand than the unpredictable officials... After all, Nana still doesn't understand whether Boris's stance is firmly on the side of Chernobog, but the soldiers are definitely on their own sides.

Although they were each preoccupied with their own administrative duties, much like dogs on leashes searching for prey in this place... it would probably be extremely difficult to get them to admit it... but it's okay, Nana won't say it to embarrass them.

Just like the previous banquet for Rhodes Island, there were quite a few reporters at the mansion this time. Whether they served the nobility or operated under the guise of freedom of speech under the new government, the profession of journalists can always be discerned from their appearance and clothing.

When they traveled by vehicle, their trunks were small but filled with many things, and they kept putting things in and taking things out, making their clothes wrinkled. They didn't have the elegant demeanor and smiling faces of nobles and diplomats, but rather the curious and inquisitive nature of children.

Most of the reporters held a wine glass in their left hand, sometimes a small notebook instead of a napkin, and sometimes a pen half-hidden. They darted about like birds hunting for prey.

Some found someone willing to talk; others greeted people from afar before coming over to inquire about the news. Bystanders could tell from how quickly the reporters rushed to their next interviewees how interesting the story was... and judging from this, Nana, running left and right with her tray, chasing after the topic itself, might actually be a 'reporter' too...

No, considering the people behind the reporters, it might be more accurate to describe them as 'spectators'.

As Nana's most important target here, everyone knows that there are definitely spies and counter-spies here, but no one knows who is whose masquerade ball member... Even Nana rarely manages to identify them successfully during the infiltration phase.

They were different from the security officers, who merely peered suspiciously at everyone from the walls around the room. They were as inconspicuous as the waiters carrying heavy silver platters and crystal glasses filled with the Romanov Royal Family champagne and vodka, moving back and forth... Incidentally, Nana was doing just that, even though her identity would theoretically be on the 'spy' side.

Therefore, it was only natural that Nana was also paying attention to 'counter-espionage' personnel.

Generally, such people will patrol the room, listening intently to every word and phrase, perhaps even a whispered conversation or a word that doesn't fit the atmosphere of the evening.

The agents in Chernobog... the men are called Crow, and the women are called Swallow... Nana originally thought that all the staff in the mansion were agents on the side, so she deliberately avoided everyone when entering.

But after actually seeing it, you'll realize that well-trained intelligence personnel aren't just a dime a dozen. Although those ordinary employees certainly knew there were spies here... They might be from the merchant's own family, or they might be from the Old Nobility who were on guard. They all knew about this, which is why they made an intelligence gathering place look like a noble social event.

This gave Nana room to maneuver; after all, if you set it up like a social venue, you're bound to have gaps in the social venue's layout... not to mention that Nana had already infiltrated this place once before.

So, although she didn't know what the Old Nobility were doing here, under their cover, Nana, dressed in a maid outfit, easily accomplished the basic work of a 'spy'... intelligence gathering.

However, Boris's contact with members of the Old Nobility... the subtext of this action alone made Nana pay close attention to Boris, since their conversation could influence the fate of the entire city.

However, listening to Boris's serious remarks, Nana remained calm, but her mind was full of questions.

"Given the actual political status and economic environment of the independent city-state of Chernobog, the suggestion from the Nobles' Army that I voluntarily resign to make a principled decision... is something I cannot agree to... After all, Chernobog is now a crucial strategic point in Ursus, and making such a significant political change would have severe consequences... However, I believe that our joint efforts will surely bear fruit, though not today, but certainly."

Watching Boris and the other person laugh and hug, Nana blinked and mentally translated what he had said...

Does this mean... the Nobles' Army's offer wasn't enough, and they need to pay more?

Although she hadn't quite figured out what they were trading in Chernobog since she'd arrived so late... Nana knew that Boris, as a crucial balancing force in the city's politics, couldn't be allowed to become a capitulationist like Amiya had suggested.

If it were her past self, she would have definitely detonated two explosives to cheer Boris on at this moment... But today, Nana has more important things to do than balance the power between Chernobog and the Nobles' Army.

I glanced at the time; if the banquet continued, it would last until midnight... Based on the way Saria was placed under house arrest, if there were no reception missions at the mansion, then all the staircases and passageways would be guarded by armed agents, with strict security measures implemented in three shifts.

Compared to Boris's deal with the Nobles' Army, Nana is now preoccupied with the Originium Prime that Boris bought from all over the city. And once she puts on the mansion's maid outfit, things become much simpler.

First, avoid those guys dressed as foremen who might actually be Chernobog Agents...

Then, they went to the independent Originium power generation system in the mansion's underground, and used their Originium Arts to reduce its activity, causing the Originium Steam to condense back into a liquid or even a solid state... Although those generators were small, their signals were quite advanced, all of them having Originium Steam solidification alarms.

In the end, Nana only needs to follow the figures of the mansion staff who come to check and play a game of tailing... to find out the location of the mansion's Originium fuel storage.

Just as inferior Originium fuel, with insufficient activity inhibition or encapsulation problems, can easily cause Oripathy, the more advanced the location, the more fixed the storage of Originium products will be.